how long

The process of probate can vary from case to case it depends on the complexity of the estate. Usually, it takes 1-3 months to process the probate and then up to an additional 6 months to close accounts, sell property and pay taxes.

With a will.

When applying for a probate with a will this can take from 1-8 weeks depending on the amount of time on certain factors. These can include:

Whether there is an inventory of assets included within the will.
Size and complexity of the estate.
Time for the probate provider to prepare the application.
What knowledge you already know about the assets in the estate.
If you have the death certificate of the deceased person or not.

Without a will.

If the deceased person has not left a will or it cannot be found, applying for probate can take 1-8 weeks. Usually when the estate is in intestacy it is a longer person. If you were close to the deceased person and know a lot about the assets in their estate this will help move the application through the process quicker. However, if you need to track down paperwork and do not know about the assets, this could take up to 2 months and the process will be slower than with a will.

Waiting for application to be approved.

Once the application has been submitted to the probate registry it will then take a further 3-6 weeks for the application to be approved. Sometimes this may be longer due to whether the estate is particularly complex and at this stage there is nothing you can do than to wait. When the grant of probate has been approved, it will be sent out in the post and from there you are ready to start dealing with the estate.

Dealing with the estate.

To sell the property, distribute assets and close bank accounts, this can take 3-6 months to organise and deal with.

Inheritance money.

When the probate is granted, it then takes anywhere from 1-6 months to gain the inheritance money. If you are the executor or administrator of the estate, you could well be getting your money as soon as you start closing accounts and gathering funds. However, if there are multiple people named in the will it would be best to group up everyone’s funds into one place or account and then distribute funds.